Bees Are Earth's Pollinaters by EarthX Media - Dailymotion

EarthX Media

EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/ Bees are the planet's most successful pollinators, and we like celebrating beekeepers and those who protect them. EarthX Love Our Planet. The Official Network of Earth Day. About Us: At EarthX, we believe our planet is a pretty special place. The people, landscapes, and critters are likely unique to the entire universe, so we consider ourselves lucky to be here. We are committed to protecting the environment by inspiring conservation and sustainability, and our programming along with our range of expert hosts support this mission. We’re glad you’re with us. EarthX is a media company dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet. We take an omni channel approach to reach audiences of every age through its robust 24/7 linear channel distributed across cable and FAST outlets, along with dynamic, solution oriented short form content on social and digital platforms. EarthX is home to original series, documentaries and snackable content that offer sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. EarthX is the only network that delivers entertaining and inspiring topics that impact and inspire our lives on climate and sustainability.   EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/ Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthxtv/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthxtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earthxtv How to watch:  United States: Spectrum AT&T U-verse (1267) DIRECTV (267) Philo FuboTV Plex United Kingdom & Ireland: Sky (180) Freeview (79) Europe: M7 Mexico: Claro & Totalplay     #EarthDay #Environment #Sustainability #Eco-friendly #Conservation #EarthxTV #EarthX

Transcript

00:00 (music)

00:11 Food is scarce.

00:13 Money is worthless.

00:16 Riots are everywhere.

00:19 The world is in chaos.

00:22 This isn't our past.

00:24 It's our future.

00:27 This is WHAT IF,

00:29 and here's what would happen

00:30 if bees went extinct.

00:33 Humans and bees have a bit of a love-hate relationship.

00:36 On one hand, there's this.

00:38 "No, not the bees! Not the bees!

00:41 Aaaaaaah!

00:43 I love my eyes! My eyes! Aaaaaaah!"

00:46 But then, who doesn't love this?

00:49 It's a little more complicated than that.

00:52 Bees do more than just sting and make honey.

00:55 They happen to pollinate most of the crops we consume,

00:59 while contributing roughly $200 billion

01:01 to the global economy each year.

01:04 And this is how we repay them.

01:07 Global warming and increased pesticide use in agriculture

01:10 are key reasons why bee populations are in decline.

01:14 What does this mean for humans?

01:16 If we're not careful,

01:18 we'll soon find ourselves in a very sticky situation.

01:23 Within three months of the last bee dying,

01:25 crop yields around the world would plummet.

01:29 Your grocery store would lose half its produce,

01:31 sending the cost of fruits and vegetables skyward.

01:35 But you wouldn't only lose fruits and vegetables.

01:38 You'd also have to say goodbye to almonds,

01:40 coconuts,

01:41 chocolate,

01:42 and dare I say it,

01:44 coffee.

01:46 Without bees, other pollinators like birds,

01:49 bats, and butterflies

01:50 would have to pick up the slack.

01:52 But would they be enough?

01:54 In an absolute worst-case scenario,

01:57 the extinction of bees would cause food chains to collapse.

02:01 First, plants start dying off

02:03 because they're not getting pollinated.

02:05 And then our favorite herbivores are the next to go.

02:09 Consider livestock.

02:11 Almond hulls are considered a high-quality

02:13 and good-value feed ingredient for cows and chickens.

02:16 But as we mentioned before,

02:18 almond trees are pollinated by bees.

02:22 If you think steaks are pricey now,

02:24 just wait till the bees disappear.

02:26 A lot of meat and dairy products would go with them,

02:29 turning familiar favorites like the cheeseburger

02:32 into a rare, extravagant delicacy.

02:36 And when you combine severe food shortages

02:39 and soaring inflation

02:40 with a growing population of over 7 billion people,

02:44 well, it's not a very pretty picture.

02:48 Of course, there are other ways to see this scenario.

02:51 Corn, wheat, and rice, for example,

02:53 are wind-pollinated crops,

02:55 so we'd still have stuff to eat if the bees went extinct.

02:58 But having lost most fruits and vegetables,

03:01 be prepared to adopt a bland, less nutritious diet.

03:06 But it may not have to come to that.

03:08 In certain parts of China,

03:09 humans have started to hand-pollinate their crops,

03:12 while drone pollination and even robot pollinators

03:15 are other avenues to consider.

03:18 Although these options might promise a normal life

03:20 without bees,

03:22 you can imagine the increase in cost.

03:24 We'd be paying a lot more

03:26 for something Mother Nature now gives us for free.

03:29 So let's not turn down a good deal.

03:32 Since the 1960s,

03:33 the volume of agricultural production

03:35 that relies on pollinators has gone up 300%.

03:40 And all it takes for us to keep this kind of growth sustainable

03:43 is to treat our planet better.

03:45 So let's do what we can

03:47 to keep our world at a normal temperature.

03:49 Let's see if we can find safer alternatives to pesticides.

03:53 Let's put our trust in some of the natural world's hardest workers.

03:58 Because while the little things are often easy to overlook,

04:02 their impact is hard to ignore.

04:05 See how the future will unfold,

04:07 next time on WHAT IF.

04:09 ♪

04:15 Hey, thanks for watching!

04:17 And don't forget to comment,

04:18 write in your What If ideas down below.

04:21 ♪

04:26 [silence]

What If All Bees Went Extinct?

Category

Transcript

Bees Are Earth's Pollinaters

Recommended